Transition from group music class to individual lessons

[jedamum]

chamonix:

jedamum:

no no...BB CC too expensive! :yikes: we went to another branch. charging $20+ cheaper for same duration and timeslot! (hm...maybe teacher different qualifications...?)
we are using Bastien Piano Basics.
you mean not comfortable with numbers (you mean fingering numbers)? my ds2 already learnt location of ABCD in his kindergarten, so the teacher teach using ABCD (i guess cos ds2 read out ABCD during his home practice).

Oh really? I wasn't aware about the charges, only knew that their books were more expensive than other places.

Then he should be on the right track. To help him progress better, get him to play and sing the notes in solfege too.

thanks! oo...i learn something new today...solfege. i learn together with him too as i only know how to sight read a little and mainly use my right hand to play by the ear. we just did flash cards this morning on treble clef notes C to G. he needs to work on his rhythm though.

[metz]

jedamum:

thanks! oo...i learn something new today...solfege. i learn together with him too as i only know how to sight read a little and mainly use my right hand to play by the ear. we just did flash cards this morning on treble clef notes C to G. he needs to work on his rhythm though.

At least you know how to sight-read a little. That's already a good start. For rhythm, try clapping while reading/singing the notes aloud.

Hmm, didn't the teacher advise you on how to practise with him at home? :?

[sleepy]

Serendipity:

what age did your kids go on to one-to-one?

Converted to individual lessons a couple of months before her 6th birthday. 45 minutes session.

Serendipity:

Does the one-to-one teacher start from scratch or customise learning based on what the child has learnt beforehand? Logically speaking, shld be the latter?

We told teacher to prep her for grade 1 since she already spent months learning notes reading in earlier group lessons.
So teacher spent first 2 months on some grade 1 equivalent pieces & start her on grade 1 exam pieces by 3rd month. 1st individual teacher spent entire 45 minutes on practical. 2nd individual teacher did 30 minutes practical, 15 minutes theory/aural.

[jedamum]

chamonix:

jedamum:

thanks! oo...i learn something new today...solfege. i learn together with him too as i only know how to sight read a little and mainly use my right hand to play by the ear. we just did flash cards this morning on treble clef notes C to G. he needs to work on his rhythm though.

At least you know how to sight-read a little. That's already a good start. For rhythm, try clapping while reading/singing the notes aloud.

Hmm, didn't the teacher advise you on how to practise with him at home? :?

there is a log book. only written which page to revise and whether to note which finger need improvement (4th). we do alot of other stuff on our own cos ds2 gets bored doing the same stuff everyday.
for rhythm, not sure if should go 1-2-3-4 or 1and2and3and4 (to intro 'and' as a form of prelude to quaver; he is on the first 4 basic note value). :oops:

[Serendipity]

sleepy:

Serendipity:

what age did your kids go on to one-to-one?

Converted to individual lessons a couple of months before her 6th birthday. 45 minutes session.

Serendipity:

Does the one-to-one teacher start from scratch or customise learning based on what the child has learnt beforehand? Logically speaking, shld be the latter?

We told teacher to prep her for grade 1 since she already spent months learning notes reading in earlier group lessons.
So teacher spent first 2 months on some grade 1 equivalent pieces & start her on grade 1 exam pieces by 3rd month. 1st individual teacher spent entire 45 minutes on practical. 2nd individual teacher did 30 minutes practical, 15 minutes theory/aural.

Thanks for sharing, Sleepy!
I notice you've told the teacher very clearly what your expectations are. Think i shld learn that from you!
6 is prob a good age to start individual? I imagine the attention span shld be greater by then.

[metz]

jedamum:

there is a log book. only written which page to revise and whether to note which finger need improvement (4th). we do alot of other stuff on our own cos ds2 gets bored doing the same stuff everyday.
for rhythm, not sure if should go 1-2-3-4 or 1and2and3and4 (to intro 'and' as a form of prelude to quaver; he is on the first 4 basic note value). :oops:

For my kids, we use 1-2-3-4 for crotchets, minims and semibreves initially. When quavers were introduced, it's 1+2+3+4+ (i.e 1and2...), semiquavers 1a&e2a&e. But that's in the beginning. Subsequently, my son practised with metronome as his timing can be horrible. His counting went fast when he knew the section well. For sections he was not familiar, the counting went slow.

[jedamum]

chamonix:

jedamum:

there is a log book. only written which page to revise and whether to note which finger need improvement (4th). we do alot of other stuff on our own cos ds2 gets bored doing the same stuff everyday.
for rhythm, not sure if should go 1-2-3-4 or 1and2and3and4 (to intro 'and' as a form of prelude to quaver; he is on the first 4 basic note value). :oops:

For my kids, we use 1-2-3-4 for crotchets, minims and semibreves initially. When quavers were introduced, it's 1+2+3+4+ (i.e 1and2...), semiquavers 1a&e2a&e. But that's in the beginning. Subsequently, my son practised with metronome as his timing can be horrible. His counting went fast when he knew the section well. For sections he was not familiar, the counting went slow.

oic. thanks for the tip!

[MummyThreeStreams]

chamonix:

jedamum:

there is a log book. only written which page to revise and whether to note which finger need improvement (4th). we do alot of other stuff on our own cos ds2 gets bored doing the same stuff everyday.
for rhythm, not sure if should go 1-2-3-4 or 1and2and3and4 (to intro 'and' as a form of prelude to quaver; he is on the first 4 basic note value). :oops:

For my kids, we use 1-2-3-4 for crotchets, minims and semibreves initially. When quavers were introduced, it's 1+2+3+4+ (i.e 1and2...), semiquavers 1a&e2a&e. But that's in the beginning. Subsequently, my son practised with metronome as his timing can be horrible. His counting went fast when he knew the section well. For sections he was not familiar, the counting went slow.

hahaha! my son is the same. it's a common issue for kids...i used to be like that too!

[metz]

MummyThreeStreams:

chamonix:

For my kids, we use 1-2-3-4 for crotchets, minims and semibreves initially. When quavers were introduced, it's 1+2+3+4+ (i.e 1and2...), semiquavers 1a&e2a&e. But that's in the beginning. Subsequently, my son practised with metronome as his timing can be horrible. His counting went fast when he knew the section well. For sections he was not familiar, the counting went slow.

hahaha! my son is the same. it's a common issue for kids...i used to be like that too!

That was what the music teachers told me too, haha. Once, my son went a bit too far with one song. He actually turned The Happy Farmer into the The Unhappy Farmer... :rotflmao:

[metz]

jedamum:

there is a log book. only written which page to revise and whether to note which finger need improvement (4th). we do alot of other stuff on our own cos ds2 gets bored doing the same stuff everyday.

for rhythm, not sure if should go 1-2-3-4 or 1and2and3and4 (to intro 'and' as a form of prelude to quaver; he is on the first 4 basic note value). :oops:

Perhaps can request the teacher to give him more pieces to work on? Else just proceed ahead after he has mastered his lessons.

My kids didn't use Bastien Basics, so I'm not sure what's the level like. My son started at 5.5 yo with Lina Ng's Piano Make Easy Book I and progressed to Grade 1 songs and exam pieces. You might want to check out the Lina Ng's books. There are 3 books in total.

Subsequently, if your son enjoys classical music, you can also consider this book http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/My-First-Classical-Music-20-Themes-by-Beethoven-Mozart-Chopin-Other-Great-Composers-Easy-Piano-Arrangements-Bergerac/9780486410920